Elegantly resurrecting songs that have become classics, the American duo She & Him offers the most delicious album of the summer. Melt Away : A Tribute to Brian Wilson celebrates the musician who founded and shaped the Beach Boys, inventing the soaring Californian sound of the 1960s. The bassist, songwriter, singer and producer who just celebrated his 80th birthday on June 20 joins a little sepulchral, the tandem on a title, Do It Again.
She & Him brings a refreshing youthful touch to the Californian master’s repertoire. The singer Zooey Deschanel deploys ample and beguiling vocal harmonies carrying Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Darlin’ or Don’t Worry Baby towards solar bliss. The composer and musician M. Ward supports it in a duet with his deep timbre on neat orchestrations. A crazy charm is born from their tender and sensual interpretations.
Melt Away, an unknown song
Fourteen songs by Brian Wilson thus revisited recall the brilliance of his compositions, whose melodic sophistication and complex harmonies hide under a limpid appearance. If melancholy surfaces in meditative titles To You Die or Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)it remains serene as the end of a beautiful summer day.
Must-haves from iconic Beach Boys albums Pet Sounds (1966) et Surf’s Up (1971) or rarities served with impeccable phrasing make you slide into relaxation or euphoria according to the tempos. An unknown gem stands out from these inspired covers, Melt Away, which gives its title to the disc. This solo track by Brian Wilson released in 1988 celebrates the way love “melts”. Set with light guitars and celestial choirs, it flies away by the grace of Zooey Deschanel’s silky timbre towards a summit of pop romanticism.